Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
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Talking Books Library
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The Virgin Islands Talking Books Library is part of a national network of cooperating libraries known as the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) operated by the Library of Congress. This free service provides audio books, Braille and large print books to Virgin Islands residents of all ages who are unable to read due to visual or physical disability. In addition, playback equipment is provided for use with Talking Books Library digital and recorded audio books. Materials can also be downloaded from the Web via BARD by registered patrons. Books are delivered and returned via the U.S. Postal Service free of charge. There are more than 80,000 fiction and nonfiction titles, plus 90 national magazines for adults and children. |
Welcome to the Talking Books Library
Getting Started with the Virgin Islands Talking Books Library
- About the Virgin Islands Talking Books Library
- Who is eligible
- Application Forms in English & Spanish
- Location and Hours
- How to Order Books
- Using the Talking Books Library
- Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD)
- Magazine on Cartridge Program
- Damaged Materials
- Loan Policy
- Quicklinks (Catalogs, BARD Log In, etc.)
- Newsletter Archive
1. About the Virgin Islands Talking Books Library
The Virgin Islands Talking Books Library
- Provides library service to the entire Territory -- St. Thomas, Water Island, St. John and St. Croix
- Circulates over three thousand plus items each year
- Has been a service of the Virgin Islands Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums since 1968
- Provides free audio, Braille, and large print materials to patrons.
- Sponsors children’s and adult’s tours of the Library
- Participates in outreach activities including vision workshops, White Cane Day, and awareness programs for the disabled community
Available Collections
- 25,000+ digital audio book titles available on cartridge onsite
- 28,000+ audio book titles available on recorded cassettes
- 50,000+ digital audio book titles available for download through BARD
- 11,000+ Braille titles available for download through BARD
- Braille books and retrospective audio books can be ordered on demand through Interlibrary loan
- Large print titles
- NLS Magazine on Cartridge program
- Braille magazines
Library Services
Virgin IslandsTalking Books Library Services include:
- Reader Advisor service
- Youth tours and storytelling on request
- Regional Library Newsletter, the newsletter for our patrons and supporters
- Braille and Audio Reading Downloads (BARD)
- Magazine on Cartridge (MOC) Program
Get the latest news. Download the Winter 2014 Newsletter (PDF).
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) provides free library service to persons who are unable to use standard printed material because of visual or physical disabilities. Eligible library patrons can expect to borrow audio or Braille materials such as they might find at the local public library.
Learn more about NLS. Information is available below in English and Spanish.
NLS Factsheets
Books for Individuals Who Are Blind or Have a Physical Disability
Libros para personas con ceguera u otra discapacidad física
Eligibility
The Virgin Islands Talking Books Library is available not only to Virgin Islands residents with visual impairments, but also to those who have physical or learning disabilities that prevent them from using standard print.
Qualified patrons include Virgin Islands residents of all ages who:
• are legally blind (vision in the better eye is 20/200 or less after correction, or the widest diameter of visual field is no greater than 20 degrees);
• have prescription glasses, yet are unable to read standard print material without additional magnification devices;
• have physical limitations that prevent them from holding books or turning pages; or
• have reading disabilities due to an organic dysfunction, as certified by a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.).
3. Application Forms in English & Spanish
How to Sign-Up
To register for VI Talking Books Library free services, please download and complete an NLS application. After completing the application form, it must be certified by an appropriate certifying authority -- a professional, such as a teacher, doctor, nurse, librarian, or social worker.
Download and install Acrobat Reader® from this link if you do not have it installed on your computer.
NLS Application for:
Individuals, in English [PDF:805KB / 4p.]
Individuals, in Spanish [PDF:492KB / 5p.]
Institutions [PDF: 477 KB / 4p.]
Veterans
By law, the Talking Books Program gives priority service to veterans of the United States armed forces who have received honorable discharges from military service. Documentation that verifies a veteran's status, such as a copy of the DD-214 form, must be submitted with the application. For further information, please call 340-718-2250, or send an email inquiry to [email protected] with subject heading, "Veteran Status Verification."
If you need more information or an application, please call us at 340-718-2250, contact us by mail at 3012 Golden Rock, Christiansted, VI 00820, or send an e-mail message to us at: [email protected].
Submit Your Application
When your application form is completed and certified, mail or bring it to:
Talking Books Library
Virgin Islands Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
3012 Golden Rock
Christiansted, VI 00820
>
The Virgin Islands Talking Books Library is located at Vitraco Mall in Estate Golden Rock, St. Croix across from the District Court.
Address:
Talking Books Library
Virgin Islands Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
3012 Golden Rock
Christiansted, VI 00820
Hours:
Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
Contact Us:
Phone: (340) 718-2250
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: http://www.virginislandspubliclibraries.org/usvi/libraryregional.asp
There are several ways to order books from the Virgin Islands Talking Books Library.
• NLS Catalogs—Talking Book Topics and Braille Book Review are bimonthly publications of NLS that contain annotations of new book releases. Each catalog comes with an order form that patrons can fill out and send to the Talking Books Library. Books will then be sent to patrons from these request lists. NLS maintains an online catalog that you may use to search for titles and topics, but it is not possible to order books online.
• Reader Advisors—The Talking Books Library staff is available to help you pick specific books. Let us know what subjects you are interested in and they will select books to send to you based on these interests.
Each patron is encouraged to contact the library's staff if:
• You want to request books or magazines
• You want information about titles, subjects, or authors
• You want to read a particular book series in chronological order
• You have questions about downloading books from BARD
• You need your User ID and Password
• You stop receiving materials
• Your player does not work properly
• Your player is lost or stolen
• Your name, address, phone number, or e-mail address changes
• You wish to have your service put on hold
• You have materials or equipment you are not using
• You wish to discontinue service
How Patrons Receive and Return Materials:
Materials from the Virgin Islands Talking Books Library will arrive with a reversible mailing label located within a label holder on the outside of the container.
• All books are mailed in a re-usable mailing container; materials must be removed from their containers before using them.
• When you are finished with an item, turn the mailing label over so that the VI Talking Books Library's address is displayed.
• Please make every possible effort to return the correct book in the correct mailing container.
• If you end up with loose library material (a cartridge with no container), it can be returned to the library in a regular or padded envelope.
Loan Periods
The Virgin Islands Talking Books Library seeks to provide you with your preferred reading material on a regular basis. Returning items as soon as you are finished with them,rather than waiting to return all of your books at once, will ensure that you receive a steady supply of books.
• Your library staff will work with you to decide on what isan appropriate number of books for you to have at a time.
• The standard loan period for digital materials sent from the library is 30 days. Digital materials may be renewed once for a further 30 day period. The standard loan period for recorded cassette materials is 6 months. Recorded cassette materials may be renewed.
• Magazines sent as a part of the NLS Magazine on Cartridge program have a loan period of 3 weeks (for weekly magazines) to 7 weeks (for monthly magazines). If you are unsure of the circulation period of magazines, please feel free to contact the library.
• There will never be any fine for overdue materials. However, when you are finished with an item, please make every effort to return it promptly.
There are several ways patrons can choose to receive materials:
• On Demand—Items are sent only when you call the library and request them.
• Request List—You let us know specific books or authors you would like to receive. If you run out of items on your request list, the library staff will suggest additional authors from a similar genre.
7. BARD - The Braille and Audio Reading Download Service.
As a Talking Books patron you have access to over 50,000 downloadable audio books, magazines, music scores, and web-Braille titles. Materials are available not only in English, but Spanish and other languages. NLS adds new titles regularly including a growing number of locally produced materials and NLS-acquired music scores and music appreciation books.
To download books, you will need access to a high-speed Internet connection, a valid email-address, basic knowledge of downloading items from the Internet, unzipping iles, and transferring files to a flash drive.
BARD Application
This application is intended for use only by patrons or institutions in good standing of the Virgin Islands Talking Books Library. Fill out this form if only you are a registered NLS user or you have already contacted the library and were instructed to do so.
To register for BARD access, visit
https://nlsbard.loc.gov/VI1A/ApplicationInstructions.html
Once there, select the link that says "BARD application for Individuals”. Next fill in and submit the application and await approval. Once approved, you can begin downloading books.
Books can be played on your NLS player using a standard flash drive.
Access to BARD Mobile
If you are registered for BARD and want to use BARD Mobile, download it from the iTunes App Store at
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bard-mobile/id705229586.
An Android application is also being developed.
8. Magazine on Cartridge Program
The Magazine on Cartridge (MOC) program is a magazine subscription program run through NLS. All active patrons are eligible to receive magazines as a part of this program. There are approximately 90 digital magazines offered as part of this program.
• You will receive one cartridge containing your magazine subscriptions, either weekly, monthly, or as new magazines are available.
• It is important to read your magazines immediately and return them promptly, as having repeated overdue magazines could jeopardize your standing in the MOC program.
• All magazines available through this program are also available to download from BARD.
•Magazines sent as a part of the MOC program have a loan period of 3 weeks (for weekly magazines) to 7 weeks (for monthly magazines). If you are unsure of the circulation period of magazines, please feel free to contact us.
• Magazines are sent to patrons on a light blue cartridge and are in a red mailing container, which has a distinctive embossed logo. The magazines are sent from vendors on the U.S. mainland and should be returned there using the mailing card.
• Please be sure not to send library books back in the red containers as they will be sent to the mainland; it is highly unlikely that these books will ever make their way back to the Virgin Islands and will therefore be permanently lost.
If an item is damaged or defective when you receive it, or if it becomes damaged while you are using it, follow these steps:
• Notify the Talking Books Library of any defective material if you would like to receive a replacement copy.
• Calling to let us know what exactly is wrong with the book is also helpful.
• If you receive a digital book that starts at the end of the book, the book may need to be rewound. Pressing the "play / stop” button twice should start the book from the beginning. You can also hold down the "rewind” button to rewind the book. If this doesn’t work, you can contact the VI Talking Books Library for a replacement book.
• Return defective materials to the VI Talking Books Library using the reversible mail card like other books.
10. Loan Policy of the Virgin Islands Talking Books Library
The following policies govern thecirculation of books and equipment to eligible blind and/or physically handicapped readers of the Virgin Islands Talking Books Library.
Eligible readers who borrow materials from the library accept responsibility for using materials with reasonable care, returning them to the lending agency according to established loan policies, and not losing or damaging them through negligence. Violation of this policy can result in suspension of someor all library services.
Policy
Braille, large print, and recorded books along with specialized playback equipment will be loaned by the VI Talking Books Library to eligible registered readers without charge, and this library will keep records of all such loans. The borrower should notify the VI Talking Books Library of changes of address, a desire to cancel the service, or temporary or permanent transfer of service to another geographic area. To remain active, a patron must borrow one book or subscribe to one magazine per year.
Equipment necessary to read the recorded materials may be borrowed on extended loan for as long as the borrower is using it to read materials provided by the library. In the event that a machine ceases to function properly or needs repair, it should be returned to the library, and a replacement player will be provided. Under no circumstances should a borrower attempt to repair the playback equipment or accessories.
The number of books a patron may have charged out to him or her at one time will be worked out between the patron and the library staff. A patron who has a record of returning books promptly may request an increase in the maximum number.
For each book returned in each format, a replacement book will be sent to the borrower. The loan period for digital books is 30 days for individuals and 60 days for institutions. The loan period for recorded cassettes is 6 months. No fines for overdue books will be levied; however, borrowers are urged to observe the loan period so books can be available for other readers.
The borrower will ensure that books, magazines, and equipment being returned to the library by free matter are delivered into the hands of the United States Postal Service by being placed in a mailbox or delivered to the post office. Placing them on the doorstep of the borrower's home for the mail carrier to pick up does not constitute delivery into the hands of the Postal Service and, if problems arise by use of this method, the borrower is responsible for the lost or damaged books.
Borrowers may not lend library books, magazines, or equipment to other persons.
In case of repeated verbal abuse of library staff by a borrower, in-person or by telephone, service to that borrower may be suspended by the library.
Suspension Procedures
In the event that any of these policies are violated repeatedly, the borrower's service may be suspended for a period of time after being given a written warning andan opportunity to reply. If after reinstatement of service, abuse continues, service may be suspended again.
In the event of suspension, the following steps will be taken:
1. The library will first discuss the problem noted with the patron by telephone or in person, then will send a warning letter that summarizes the discussion and the problem and provides an opportunity for the patron to reply.
2. If service abuse recurs, a second written communication will be sent to the patron citing the earlier warning letter, listing examples of subsequent abuse, giving the patron an opportunity to reply by a certain date, and then suspending the service for a stated period (upto 6 months). A specific date for resumption of service will be included in this letter.
3. When the service is resumed, a letter will be sent to the borrower notifying him/her of the resumption of the service and reminding the patron that further recurrences will result in another suspension of service as it relates to the documented abuse.
11. Quicklinks
Online Catalogs
(All links open in a new browser window)
Search the NLS Catalog - Quicksearch
Searchthe NLS Catalog - Voyager
Other Resources
(All links open in a new browser window)
The Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands
http://drcvi.org/
The International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI)
http://www.icdri.org/legal/ADA_DBTAC_R2.htm
The Virgin Islands Association for Independent Living
http://independentlivingvi.org/index.html
The Virgin Islands Department of Human Services, Disabilities and Rehabilitation
http://www.dhs.gov.vi/disabilities/index.html
The Virgin Islands Department of Human Services, Family Assistance Programs, Aid to the Blind
http://www.dhs.gov.vi/financial_programs/aid_blind.html
The Virgin Islands Department of Human Services, Family Assistance Programs, Aid to the Disabled
http://www.dhs.gov.vi/financial_programs/aid_disabled.html
The Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
http://viucedd.org/
Archive
(Download current and previous newsletters. Acrobat Reader® required.)
Download and install Acrobat Reader® from this link if you do not have it installed on your computer.
Veterans Receive New Digital Player and Books
